A Matter of Circumstance
by sapientis
Summary: A rebuttal to the latest episode of NR. Canon up until the dinner scene, then it becomes AU. Dani/Nico mentions of past Dani pairings.


Sage: After watching last night's episode, I have lost my drive for Solitudo. No worries though, I will be uploading over the weekend, but last night put a temporary stop to my writing process. I had this idea floating around in my head, and decided to write it out as a rebuttal to the episode. Its...interesting in design, but its helping me cope.

OH and a big thanks to everyone that has been reviewing my other story. Sorry I haven't said it before, but the reviews are amazing. Another thanks goes to brokenroots, who has become a good friend and sound board for ideas :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Necessary Roughness. If I did that atrocity of an episode would have never happened the way it did.

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><p><em>There's a man. He's been there for the past 20 years.<em>

"He knows, and he's flattered. But you have to understand that I am not the same man that I was 20 years ago." Nico holds up his hand to stop Gabriella before she interrupts. "Tell me Gabriella do you remember most of our conversations?" She nods in response. "Good. About 17 years ago, I told you about someone whom I left behind. Someone who I cared about so much that I was willing to let her go and be herself. Does this sound familiar?"

Gabriella's eyes go wide as she recognizes those words. "You….found her? After all this time, you found her?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Nico I just told you that I have had feelings for you practically since I met you, and you are telling me that the woman that you have been in love with for all that time…you" She takes a generous sip of her appletini. She fiddles with her glass before sitting back in her chair. "I can't be this selfish. You deserve to be happy Nico. As much as I wish I was that woman, we both know I'm not." She leans forward again to observe Nico. "Have you told her?"

Nico looks at Gabriella, meeting her analytical gaze head on. "It's complicated."

"Things are only as complicated as you make them Nico. You fix things, surely this can be fixed?"

Nico sighs and looks down at his glass. "I'm not sure it can." He pulls out a picture and shows it to his guest. In the picture there is a young couple, which look to be in the deepest kind of connection. They are looking at each other with such devotion, love, and compassion, that one would think their love was the kind that was described in books (which it was). "Take a look at the woman Gabriella. Does she look familiar?" Gabriella shakes her head. "She should. Her file crossed Marshall's desk just a few short months ago." Gabriella looks up shocked. "As I said complicated." Nico takes the picture back from her and puts it in his place in his inside jacket pocket. He feels his phone buzz in his pants pocket and decides to answer as the conversation has taken a turn for the worse.

"That is probably Marshall trying to see if you can use your connections to find me."

Nico waves a waiter over to settle the bill then finishes his drink before getting up. "It's one of the younger Santino's. I have to go now." He turns to leave but turns around calling out her name. She looks over at him with questioning eyes. "Call your husband." And with that he walks out into the night to face the problems that make his job.

**38 minutes later outside the Santino residence**

Nico puts his car into park before looking over at his young companion. Ray Jay had texted him during dinner asking to be picked up immediately. Upon arrival at the stadium, Ray Jay shoots his father a dirty look before getting in the car and not looking back. The ride back to the Santino residence was a quiet ride, the only tension coming from Ray Jay.

"Would you like to tell me what happened?" Nico finally turns to face his companion.

"My _father_ decided to let something slip tonight." The sarcastic emphasis of father is not lost on Nico. Knowing the predisposition of the Santino's to break first, Nico waits for Ray Jay to continue. "Apparently I am a Santino by name only. I am not his son." Ray Jay gives a short chuckle then frowns. "It makes sense though. When me and Linds were younger, he always paid more attention to her than me." Nico sees him folding into himself; his almost childlike appearance makes Nico feel for the boy.

In all of his research Nico never knew that Dani had a child with someone other than Ray. When he remembers Ray Jay's age, he becomes uneasy. 'That would be around the time that…' Ray Jay interrupted his thoughts.

"I thought it was because I was older, but I guess every family has their secrets right?" Both men sit and let the conversation settle. Ray Jay opens the door and gets out. Nico follows his lead and they both find themselves walking to the door. "Can you not tell my mom I know?" Nico nods in acceptance. "Thank you Nico." When they get to close enough to the door, they see Matt closing the door behind him. Matt turns around to knock again, but Ray Jay opens the door before he can knock.

"Ray Jay what happened?" Dani looks at her son concerned. She notices that his face is a little red and his eyes are puffy, indication that he had been crying earlier. She pulls her son into a hug and looks at Nico.

"Donnally, you might want to go home. I've got it from here."

"Nico, what ever it is I can help. I am a friend of Dani's you know." Matt crosses his arms over his chest.

"This is beyond the thoughts of a sports trainer. It's a family issue that I happened to be brought into by the young man in question. Seeing as how he does not want to talk to his mother, it falls to me to tell her what information I know."

"You gave me your word." Ray Jay yells at Nico.

Nico raises an eyebrow while looking at Ray Jay who is standing next to Dani now. "I have more information than what you gave me. It's important, and has left me with questions of my own. It is relevant to all of us," He looks back at Matt. "Except for you Donnally."

"Nico I swear one of these days…" Matt starts.

"Matt can you please just leave?" Dani says interrupting his rant. Matt turns his focus to Dani and is shocked. "We," she says gesturing between Nico, Ray Jay, and herself "have much to discuss. I will talk to you at work on Monday." Matt huffs and leaves the doorway. Nico closes the door and leans his back against it, taking in the scene before him.

Dani turns slightly to take in Ray Jay's appearance. "What is this about Ray Jay? What did your father say to upset you now?"

Ray Jay begins laughing and Dani becomes worried. Nico walks over to the duo. "He's not my father mom. He told me that." Glaring at Nico, Ray Jay spares a small look at his mother before storming upstairs and slamming his door.

After hearing those words uttered from Ray Jay's mouth, Dani falls to her knees on the floor crying. Nico bends down and picks her up, following Ray Jay's idea and goes upstairs. Finding the master bedroom wasn't too difficult, since it was the only room with double doors. He shifts Dani in order to open the door. He gently places her on the bed and closes the door.

Still crying Dani manages to situate herself that way she had a view of the man. "Why did he call you?" she asks between sniffles.

Nico thought about that for a moment. Why had the younger Santino male called him? "The thoughts going through your son's head at that time are probably a mystery to even himself. It was probably due to the fact that I am the first programmed speed dial on his phone." Dani takes interest in that.

"Really?" At this point the tears are slowly falling. Her mascara is running and she is fiddling with her hands.

"Your daughter has her Father as his first speed dial, followed by you. It is an interesting choice for your son to make." Dani looks away to control herself a little more. Seeing Dani's distraction Nico pulls out the same picture from earlier, walks to Dani, and hands it to her face down.

Dani turns over the picture and drops it. "Where did you find that?"

Nico picks up his picture and sits next to Dani. "Is this the man who is Ray Jay's father?" he asks quietly.

Dani nods. "Can you please just tell me where you got the picture from?" she whispers back to Nico.

"It's my picture."

Dani tenses beside him. "That's not possible. The man in this picture died 18 years ago."

Nico turns to face Dani and turns her to face him. "No the man in that picture was involved in the mob. When he met you, he fell in love and skived on his duties. One thing about the mob is that you don't leave alive, especially if you've been working with the police against your family. The man in that photo only got to spend 6 months with the woman that he grew to love and has still loved, even 18 years later." He caresses Dani's face lovingly. "I didn't mean to make you think I died Dani, but it was necessary at the time."

Dani's eyes grow three times in size. "You…you can't be….Dominic?" her voice is so small and hopeful that Nico has to smile.

"In the flesh."

"But how, you looked much different than you did 18 years ago." She breaks out of her trance and begins looking at the changes and looking for a resemblance of the man she loved so long ago.

Nico tensed. "When I said you don't leave the mob alive, I meant it. My father was a minor league mob boss who was beginning to make a reputation in Philadelphia. Once I started working with the police against him I was relocated to New York." He catches Dani's gaze and holds it. "I didn't count on meeting you Dani, but I don't regret it one bit. After we met, I became reckless. I stopped adhering to the rules in order to be with you. A cousin of mine found me there and called my father." She grabs his hand in comfort and he stops due to the grateful act. Giving the hand a squeeze he reins in his emotions to continue his story. "That day that I 'died' I was able to make it out of my apartment with minor injuries. In order to hide more effectively, the police department paid for me to have some work done to mask my features." Dani's eyes go back to his face. "It's the nose and the chin," He says with a sad smile. "After that I changed my name, went into the Navy, became a SEAL and came back to New York to look for you. Granted a few years had passed, but I had hope that you would still be around." He pulls his hand out of hers and stands up to pace. "Imagine my surprise when I come back and find you married to Ray."

"What was I supposed to do Nico, wait for you? I thought you were DEAD" Dani said the last word so loud that if they were paying attention they would have heard a door open in the hallway.

"You should have trusted me."

"TRUSTED you? Nico I am beginning to think I didn't know you."

The hurt expression on Nico's face couldn't be masked. "Everything I ever told you was the truth."

Dani scoffed. "Within that truth Nico there are plenty of omissions."

"I told you that I never lie Dani."

"Omissions are no better than lies."

"I did what I thought was right."

Dani looked as though she was going to hit him. "You did what you thought was right? Nico you left me pregnant with that wounded young man sitting in his room two doors down. How could you think that leaving was the right thing?"

Nico glances at the door lost in thought. How much time has he wasted instead of getting to know his son. What would have happened if he had returned, would they have gotten married? Of course they would have. A love like that is hard to find.

"You're right. I was foolish." He leans against the dresser with him arms crossed over his chest. "Just imagine what it would have felt like for you to come back from being gone, and the person you love was with someone else. I was devastated Danielle. But I was the better man and let you be happy."

Dani cringed at the use of her full name. She knew now that she was in hot water. "Tell me then Nico. Why now? Why not when I first joined the Hawks?"

He face turned grim. "Donnally."

"What does Matt have to do with this?"

"You were with Donnally Danielle. You seemed happy."

Dani put her hands in her hair and pulled, an obvious sign of frustration. "No one makes me happier than you. Damnit Nico, why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"I didn't want to approach you too soon because you were still clinging onto Ray, then it was Donnally, and just recently Aldridge. Danielle, there has not been a day in the past 18 years that I have not thought about you. I just want you to be happy." He crosses to where she is and kneels so that they are eye level. "Is that so bad?"

"No it's not too bad I guess."

Nico's eyebrow rises again. "You guess?" His voice showing his amusement.

"That's what I said"

"Well then Danielle, answer me just one final question. Is there any part of you that still loves me?"

Dani becomes contemplative knowing that the answer is important. "Yes and no."

Nico's face falls and he makes to leave. "Wait Nico I'm not finished." Nico stops just before the door. "No I do not love the past you anymore, but I do love the new Nico. You are mysterious, charming, passionate, brilliant, and not to mention handsome. But it's more than that. We understand each other more now then we did back then. We are still the same people, but we grew up into the best possible versions of ourselves. However," Nico hears her getting up and walking towards him. He tenses as she turns him around, his eyes fixed on the floor. "I want what we had back." His head shoots up. "What we had was unimaginable, and even know we have the potential for it to be even better." She wraps her arms around his neck, and his arms instinctively move to her waist.

Nico glances down at the woman he loves. "You realize this is going to be difficult to explain to the team."

He feels her laughing. "For once I don't care." Dani pulls Nico's head down to hers effectively smashing their lips together. A moan escapes from Nico as he pulls her closer to him becoming lost in the sensations that took him to a distant past. Not wanting to lose his control, Nico breaks away from the kiss and leans his head on Dani's.

"Are you always a gentleman?" she asks him quietly.

"Only sometimes." He brings one hand to move a strand of hair out of her face. "You need to talk to your son."

"_Our_ son Nico"

Nico smiles and corrects himself. "Our son." He pulls away, but keeps one arm wrapped firmly around Dani's waist. Together they open the door, and are shocked at the sight that greets them.

Ray Jay is standing outside the door, with a large smile on his face. "Does this mean I get to call you dad?"

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><p>Sage: So, love it? Hate it? Unsure about it? I am still a little uncertain about it myself, but I needed to write it. Its definitely going to be just a two-shot. Let me know what you think.<p> 


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